Elevating mechanism



Feb. 5 1924. 1,482,424

I H. C. ZIMMERMAN ELEVATING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 20, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 H11 Zimmerman Feb. 5-, 1924.

- H. C.IZIMMERMA NI ELEVATING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 20. 1923 '2 Sheets-Sheet a IIIIIIIIIIIIIVIIIIIIIIIII VIIIIIIIIIIIII/ HEYTH E -Zimmefman Patented Feb. 5, 1924.

UNITED STATES HARRY C. ZIMMERMAN, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

ELEVATING MECHANISM.

- Application filed September 20, 1923. Serial No. 663,906.

(FILED UNDER THE ACT OF MARCH 3, 1883, 22 STAT. 14., 625.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, HARRY C. ZIMMER- MAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Washington, District of Columbia, have invented an Improvement in Elevating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

The invention described herein may be used by the Government, or any of its ofiicers or employees in prosecuting of work for theGovei-nment, or by any other person in the United States, without payment to me of any royalty thereon, in accordance with the act of March 3, 1883.

The subject of this invention is a gun carriage and the invention relates more specifically of the elevating mechanism for said gun carriage.

In laying a gun it is necessary to give the piece a certain elevation corresponding to the range or distance away from the gun of the object at which the projectile is to be fired. This range elevation is computed on the theory that the target and the gun are on the same level. It frequently happens, however, that the target is on a different plane from the gun. In order that the projectile may strike the target it is necessary in such a case to correct the range elevation get. The amount of correction is deter mined by the angle of site, that is, the angle formed between the horizontal and a line drawn from the gun to the target. With this correction added algebraically to the range elevation the projectile may be expected to hit the target.

The primary object of my invention then is the provision of means for laying the gun in such a manner that the angle of site correction may be algebraically added to the range elevation.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention resides in the novel arrangement and combination of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

A preferred embodiment of my invention for this difference in level of gun and taris illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view of the elevation mechanism of the gun carriage;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation;

Fig. 3 is a section through the cradle and elevating mechanism, and

Fig. 4 is a section through the trail and angle of site mechanism.

Referring to the drawings by numerals of reference:

I have shown. an elevating mechanism which consists of a pair of substantially sector-shaped rockers 1O pivotally mounted on gun carriage, as on the cradle trunnions and provided with gear teeth on their exterior arcs which mesh with pinions 11 mounted on an elevating shaft 12 and with pinions 13 carried by an angle of site shaft 14. The elevating shaft 12 is mounted in a housing 15 which is fixed to the cradle 16. This shaft 12 is actuated by a hand wheel 17' through the medium of a shaft 18 a worm 19 and a worm wheel 20; the hand wheel being secured at one end to the shaft 18 and the worm at the other end thereof, the worm engaging with the worm wheel 20 which is fixed on the elevating shaft 12. Movement of the hand wheel 17 elevates the gun.

The angle of site shaft 14 is mounted in a housing 21 which in the preferred embodiment of my invention is attached to the trail flasks 22. A worm wheel 23 is fixed on the shaft 14 and engages with a worm 2% on a shaft 25 to which is attached a hand wheel 26. By moving the hand wheel 26 the angle of site shaft is rotated and through the pinions 13 fixed to said shaft, the position of the elevating arcs or rockers 10 is changed; movement of these rockers causes a movement of the elevating shaft 12 and through the movement of the elevating shaft the cradle is elevated. In this manner the angle of site correction may be algebraically added to the range elevation.

While I have shown the elevating mechanism as including geared rockers, it is obvious that any other suitable type of elevating mechanism may be employed without change of function.

I claim:

In combination a gun carriage provided With a trail formed with spaced trail flasks, a gun cradle trunnioned 0n the carriage a pair of one-piece sector-shaped rockers pivotally mounted on the cradle trunnions, one on either side of the cradle, said rockers formed with an exterior arcuate face, and each provided with gear teeth on its exterior face, a shaft secured to the cradle pinions 0n the shaft adapted to mesh with the teeth of the rockers, means for actuating the shaft to elevate the cradle with respect to the car rid e, a shaft secured to the carriage and Wholly housed between the trail flasks, pinions on the last named shaft adapted to mesh with the teeth of the rockers, and means for actuating the last named shaft to move the rockers and through the rockers the cradle.

HARRY C. Z IMMERMAN. 

